A/N: I hope all my readers enjoyed a safe and wonderful holiday, I tried to get as much written on my holiday off. Anyways on to the story!

Xx H.G. 2 1/2 weeks later xX

Hermione was sitting in the Great hall with the twins on either side of her with their friend Lee Jorden sitting across from them with both Neville and Harry sitting next to him. Harry had followed Hermione's advice and started to distance himself from Ron slowly and spend more time with Neville. From what Hermione could see it had already made him much happier. Hermione looked up to see the morning post coming in. Harry's owl landed in front of him but wasn't carrying anything simply looking for some affection. Hermione was distracted by this, so she didn't even notice when a large pitch-black eagle owl land in front of her.

This was different from normal as owls normally just drop their load and fly off. Meaning that this owl was told to wait for a reply. A few more letters were dropped in front of Hermione before she was able to receive the letter from the black owl. When she did, she noticed the handwriting right away. It was from Professor Snape.

"So, Miss popular, who is the big scary one from?" The twins said in unison.

"Well boys, it seems like I may have some answers finally. It is from Professor Snake… Opps I meant Snape."

The twins snickered while the rest of the group stared at her like she had a death wish. No one joked about Snape where he could hear them. Hermione was unfazed by this and just went to open her letter.

Miss Stark,
It would appear that our inquest into your house placement is being stalled indefinitely. Our 'Illustrious' Headmaster states that there will be no resort as the hat did not test positive for any jinxes that were not supposed to be there. Meaning that there are jinxes on the hat but ones that HE wants to be there. All but confirming you suspicions. This being said, I would like to formally issue you a invitation to become my apprentice. This will give you the ability to study at your pace instead of the slow pace the standard classroom setting sets. Also, it would place you as my responsibility meaning that you would room near mine and the other Slytherins and as I am their head of house you would have access to the common room. You would be for all intents and purposes a Slytherin without being sorted there. It would also give me the authority to state that you need Lab space as part of my work with you forcing the Headmaster to acquiesce to that request, as he has been dragging his feet on that as well. If this is acceptable, I have included with this letter a formal apprentice contract for you to read over and sign if you are accepting the position. One of your parents will also have to sign as you apprenticing with me will effectively make me your magical guardian. Please respond forth with as the longer you take the more time you give the headmaster to figure out what is happening and try to stop it.

Professor Severus Snape

Potions Master, Head of Slytherin House

I Severus T. Snape Master of potions do hear by take Hermione (Mia) Maria Jean Stark-Wilkins-Granger as my apprentice as of the 19th of September. In this contract I will take her as my magical ward and take care of all of her scholarly necessities in the course of her learning my craft and any other I as her master see fit to teach her. As Miss Stark will still be a minor when taken into this contract, I will see her taught to newt level in all necessary courses as well as courses she deems worthy of her study. Being a minor, this contract requires the signature of at least one of her non-magical guardians to legitimize this contract.

In this contract the Master (S. T. Snape) does promise to provide:

•A workspace for his apprentice

•A living space for his apprentice

•Work appropriate attire for his apprentice

•Meals for his apprentice if ever outside the school space during mealtimes

•Materials for his apprentice's Magical learning (potions ingredients, cauldrons, ectara.)

•Book for his apprentices' Magical learning (main courses, and supplementary books to them)*1

•A lapel pin with his master's mark to denote the Apprentice as his

*1 any additional books on other subjects not taught must be provided by the apprentice's family

In this contract the Apprentice (H. M. J. Stark-Wilkins-Granger) does promise:

•To live in the space provided by her master

•To wear attire provided by her master

•To eat what food is provided by her master

•To abide by any timetables provided by her master

•To have her family provided any books that are not required by her master to have.

•To follow her master's orders as far as her lab time and not overworking herself

•To wear her master's pin with pride and not remove it until the apprenticeship is at an end

•To provide her own non-magical lab and work on her own time there

Master: Apprentice:
Severus T. Snape

Parent/Guardian:

"Wow that Snake is a genius! How did he get my full name I wonder?" Hermione said in a loud whisper making the twins raise an eyebrow.

"looks like my stay with the lions is coming to an end boys. What a great birthday present."

All the boys around her looked at her in shock before she got bombarded with 'What and it's your birthday!' from all sides.

The twins both knew that she was trying to leave the lion's den but they didn't know that it was her birthday. But the rest of the boys didn't know she was leaving and were shocked by it.

"well to answer the what's first. I was miss sorted but the Headmaster was dragging his feet to get me resorted. Well as of this morning he has officially turned down my request for a re-sort." Hermione stopped there to let the boys catch up to what she was saying before continuing.

"as such I worked with Professor Snape to create a backup plan if this was the case. So as soon as my parents sign off on this, I will no longer be in the house system at all. I will be taken on as an apprentice." Hermione said as she pulled out a self-inking quill and signed it before folding it back up and putting it in a new envelope before pausing on who to send it to. Her mom and John or to her dad?

Hermione put that decision off for now and went to her other packages that contained birthday presents. Tony and Pepper's was the first to be opened to find a prototype of the digital book reader that they had mocked up before she had left for school and it was filled with her course books for this year. Both magical and normal. The note with it made Hermione smile. He couldn't think of a better present then knowledge for his mini-Mia and Pepper demanded it not to be something that he just went out and spent a fortune on.

The next gift was from her Mom and John. At first it looked to be a thoughtful gift, her mom said they found the book in their local bookstore and thought it was appropriate. Hermione opened it to discover that it was a book on the Salem witch trials. That wouldn't have been too bad if it were not for the fact that the book was written from the side of the prosecutors. Stating that they should not suffer a witch to live.

Hermione's good mode suddenly took a nosedive.

Well that just settled who to send the contract to. As well as a note to Tony to see if he can find out what was going on with her mom. Her mom would never send something like this to her. At Least not without reading it. Something was wrong.

Hermione opened her last gift, this one from Happy. He brought a smile back to Hermione's face as he had sent her a pair of brass knuckles and a certificate to a gym in her town so she could learn self-defense for when she was at school and he couldn't be there for her. His note telling her to pick up running also as it was said that most wizards like to sit on their butts, and it would help her outrun any wizarding enemy she might gain.

Only Happy would use her birthday as a means to make her exercise. Hermione shook her head with a little laugh. Hermione picked back up her quill and wrote her dad's name on the envelope before handing it off to the black owl that looked to be becoming impatient with her.

"Thank you for sticking around, unfortunately you are going to be off for a long trip for this one. My dad is in Miami so you're going to be heading to America. Would you like some bacon or something before your trip?"

Hermione held out a slightly rawer piece of bacon for the bird that he took and ate while she tied the letter to his leg, so he didn't have to worry about dropping it with such a long trip.

"I will email him that you're coming. Please stick around for the paper back as he just needs to sign it." With that and a pat on his head the owl leapt off the table and headed out.

Hermione turned to the high table and nodded to Snape before getting up and packing her presents into her bag and leaving the hall. She sent an email off to both Tony and Happy explaining the present that her mom and John had sent her and that she felt something was wrong. Her mom had been acting funny ever since Tony came back into her life and although she had said she was fine with it she seems to be distancing herself. It just wasn't like her. Hermione also explained her and Professor Snape's plan and that the contract was on the way to Tony and all he had to do is sign it and send it back.

When she returned to her dorm at the end of the night, Hermione buried the book at the bottom of her trunk. Keeping it only incase Tony didn't believe that Hellen could do something like that to her daughter. Hermione went to sleep that night hoping that her dad could make sense of the things going on because for the first time in her life they made no sense to her.

A/N: That is it for this chapter and probably for the rest of this year. I have been super busy this year and am not sure when I can write more. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! TTFN